Saratoga Race Report (Cont.)

This time there was nothing to detract from Whywhywhy's victory. Unlike the Flash Stakes (gr. III) on June 7, when a fatal spill marred his decisive triumph in a sharp :57.10 for the five furlongs, the July 25 Sanford Stakes (gr. II) was his show alone. And he put on another good one.

With his illustrious stablemate, Zavata, sitting this one out, Whywhywhy, owned by his trainer Patrick Biancone and Fabien Ouaki, turned a seemingly competitive race into a one-horse affair, blowing by the field in the final furlong to register a 2 3/4-length victory. The son of Mr. Greeley covered the six furlongs in 1:10.40, paying $11.80. Wildcat Heir, the 8-5 favorite, bumped with longshot Title Contender at the start, losing early position, then ran strongly to finish second, a nose in front of the 39-1 shot Spite the Devil.

Whywhywhy was a maiden when he won the Flash, having finished second in his career debut at Belmont.

Record OpenerA record opening day crowd of 32,913 saw Padua Stables' Freedom's Daughter score a 1 1/4-length victory in the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-old fillies. The daughter of Saint Ballado got caught up in a torrid speed duel with John Oxley's recently purchased Mike's Wildcat, blazing the opening quarter in :21.78 over a slow, drying out track. They still were at each other's throat through a half in :45.59.

Mike's Wildcat, who was later discovered to be suffering from a lung infection, gave up the chase, as Miss Mary Apples closed in. But Freedom's Daughter, under Velazquez, kept digging in. Despite coming home her last quarter in a slow :26.55, she still was able to maintain a clear lead to the wire.

Freedom's Daughter paid $6.90, covering the six furlongs in 1:12.14.

Bobby's Really Big DayTrainer Bobby Frankel's big day on July 27 began earlier on the card when he saddled Juddmonte Farms' Tates Creek to a nose victory in the Diana Handicap (gr. IIT), defeating the 3-2 favorite Voodoo Dancer. Jerry Bailey once again was on board. The two victories gave Frankel a grade I and grade II victory by a combined margin of the width of his pinky.